Books, authors and all things bookish

14 eclectic, bookish gifts

December 15, 2011 | 3:07
pm

Books are good -- books are always good -- but book lovers cannot live on books alone. Here is Jacket Copy's eclectic list of gifts that aren't books, but could please the bookish. Above, a frosted glass lamp that is both a bedside reading light and, when it's time to close your eyes, a bookrest that saves your place. May not be suitable for "1Q84." Available at the Los Angeles Public Library bookstore ($85).

Blik makes self-adhesive, removable wall tiles. The above design -- "Academia" -- is the result of the company's collaboration with Threadless. Academia wall tiles can make a wall of books in a spot where there's not enough room for a bookshelf; they'll be available at the end of December ($39 for two 48" x 24" tiles).

Book darts are metal bookmarks that clip on the edges of pages -- so lightweight, they say, that the pages are unharmed. Think of them as eco-friendly Post-Its (Tin, $10; envelope, $3.25).

Brainiac bookends from designer Karim Rashid come in black and gold or white and pink. They are 7" tall and made of resin ($180).

This Secret Passageway Switch is hidden within a book, and should, when tugged, swing open the bookcase to reveal a secret door. If you don't have a secret passageway, it can be used to turn on a lamp. The switch, created by B. Light Design, requires home assembly ($50; currently sold out, but too good to omit).

This slim, detachable bicycle light from Sweden is called the Bookman. Because not all people who read books sit around inside all day ($26 a pair).

At 11 feet 8 inches long, 5 feet 7 inches wide, and 4 feet 7 inches high, this limited-edition book tent from Field Candy is designed to sleep two comfortably. And, despite a $868 price tag, it's getting snapped up -- there are fewer than 80 left.

You know when you're lying around outside your book tent reading in iBooks and your iPad runs out of juice? I hate it when that happens. But it doesn't have to if you've got the solar-powered iPad charging case ($120).

The BookBook iPhone holder looks like a vintage leather book on the outside. On the inside, it holds an iPhone and doubles as a wallet ($60).

Readers can show off their rebellious streaks with the "I read banned books" bracelet. Available from the Getty store ($25).

The scrimshaw-inspired whale design by Thomas Paul is closer to the image Herman Melville might have had of his great white. This whale is so big it stretches across two serving trays. ($40)

Melville House has long sold a bag emblazoned with the phrase "I would prefer not to." That's from "Bartleby the Scrivener," the classic work-slowdown, opt-out novella by Herman Melville, from whom the publishing house takes its name. This year, those who would prefer not to have another canvas bag ($12) can choose the brand new T-shirt ($15).